John Chrysostom, Commentary on the Letter to the Galatians

What then? For for this reason he himself added the phrase, "By revelation," so that not even before the resolution of the question you might condemn him of any ignorance, knowing that what had happened was not human, but a certain divine dispensation foreseeing many things both of the present and of the future. What then is the reason for this journey? Just as when he previously went up from Antioch to Jerusalem, he did not go up for his own sake; for he himself knew clearly that one must purely follow the doctrines of Christ; but wishing to bring together those who were fighting; so also now he did not need to learn that he was not running in vain, but 61.634 so that those who were accusing might be fully convinced.

Since they had a greater opinion of Peter and John, and thought they were at variance, because the one preached without circumcision, while the others allowed it, and they thought he was acting unlawfully, and running in vain; "I went up," he says, "and communicated to them the Gospel," not that I might learn anything myself, (which he also says more clearly as he goes on), but that I might teach those who suspected these things, that I do not run in vain. For the Spirit, foreseeing such a contention, prepared him to go up and communicate. For this reason he says, "I went up by revelation," and he took Barnabas and Titus to be witnesses of his preaching. And I laid before them the Gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, that is, without circumcision; but privately to those who were of reputation. What does he mean by, "Privately"? And yet one who is eager to correct common doctrines does not propose these things privately, but publicly. But Paul was not so; for he did not wish to learn or correct anything, but to take away the pretext of those who wished to deceive. But since in Jerusalem everyone was scandalized if anyone transgressed the law, if anyone forbade the use of circumcision; for which reason he also said, "You see, brother, how many thousands there are of those who have believed? And all these have been instructed about you, that you teach apostasy from the law;" since, therefore, they were scandalized, he did not venture to come forward with boldness and reveal his own preaching; but privately he laid it before those of reputation in the presence of Barnabas and Titus, so that these might become trustworthy witnesses to his accusers, that it did not seem contrary even to the apostles, but that they confirm such preaching. But when he says, "to those of reputation," he does not say this to deny that they were great; since even concerning himself he says, "And I think that I also have the Spirit of God;" which is the statement of one being modest, not denying that he has it. So also here. "To those of reputation," he says, speaking of the common vote of all along with his own. But not even Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised. What is, "being a Greek"? He was of the Greeks, he says, and uncircumcised. For not only did I preach in this way, but Titus also acted in this way, and the apostles did not compel him, being uncircumcised, to be circumcised. Which was the greatest 61.635 proof that they did not condemn what was being said or done by Paul. And what is much greater than this, is that not even when his opponents were pressing, and knew these things, were the apostles compelled to command this; which indeed he himself also indicated when he said, "But because of the false brethren secretly brought in." Who are these false brethren? For this is no small question here. For if the apostles permitted circumcision here, why do you now call those false brethren who, in accordance with the opinion of the apostles, also command this to be done? Because, in the first place, it is not the same thing to command something to be done, and to permit it when it is done. For the one who commands does so with zeal, as something necessary and primary; but he who does not himself command, but does not hinder one who wishes to do it, does not permit it as something that ought to be done, but as fulfilling a certain dispensation. For instance; Paul wrote to the Corinthians, again commanding wives and husbands to come together for the same purpose.

λοιπόν; ∆ιὰ γὰρ τοῦτο προσέθηκε καὶ αὐτὸς τὸ, Κατὰ ἀποκάλυψιν, ἵνα μηδὲ πρὸ τῆς λύσεως τοῦ ζητήματος καταγνῷς αὐτοῦ τινα ἄγνοιαν, εἰδὼς ὅτι οὐκ ἀνθρώπινον ἦν τὸ γενόμενον, ἀλλὰ θεία τις οἰκονομία πολλὰ προορωμένη καὶ τῶν παρόντων καὶ τῶν μελλόντων. Τί ποτ' οὖν ἐστι τὸ αἴτιον τῆς ἀποδημίας ταύτης; Ὥσπερ ὅτε πρότερον ἐξ Ἀντιοχείας εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα ἀνῆλθεν, οὐ δι' ἑαυτὸν ἀνῆλθεν· αὐτὸς καὶ ᾔδει σαφῶς, ὅτι χρὴ καθαρῶς ἕπεσθαι τοῖς τοῦ Χριστοῦ δόγμασιν· ἀλλὰ τοὺς μαχομένους συνάγειν βουλόμενος· οὕτω καὶ νῦν οὐκ αὐτὸς ἐδεῖτο μαθεῖν, ὅτι οὐκ εἰς κενὸν ἔτρεχεν, ἀλλ' 61.634 ἵνα οἱ ἐγκαλοῦντες πληροφορηθῶσιν.

Ἐπειδὴ μείζονα περὶ Πέτρου καὶ Ἰωάννου δόξαν εἶχον, καὶ διαστασιάζειν αὐτοὺς ᾤοντο, διὰ τὸ τοῦτον μὲν ἄνευ περιτομῆς κηρύττειν, ἐκείνους δὲ ταύτην συγχωρεῖν, καὶ παράνομα πράττειν αὐτὸν ᾤοντο, καὶ εἰς κενὸν τρέχειν· Ἀνῆλθον, φησὶ, καὶ ἐκοινωσάμην αὐτοῖς τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον, οὐχ ἵνα αὐτός τι μάθω, ὃ καὶ προϊὼν σαφέστερον λέγει, ἀλλ' ἵνα διδάξω τοὺς ταῦτα ὑποπτεύοντας, ὅτι οὐκ εἰς κενὸν τρέχω. Τὸ γὰρ Πνεῦμα τὴν τοιαύτην προορώμενον φιλονεικίαν, παρεσκεύασεν αὐτὸν ἀνελθεῖν καὶ κοινώσασθαι. ∆ιὰ τοῦτό φησι, Κατὰ ἀποκάλυψιν ἀνέβην, καὶ Βαρνάβαν καὶ Τίτον ἔλαβε μάρτυρας ἐσομένους τοῦ κηρύγματος. Καὶ ἀνεθέμην αὐτοῖς τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον, ὃ κηρύττω ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν, τουτέστι, τὸ χωρὶς περιτομῆς· κατ' ἰδίαν δὲ τοῖς δοκοῦσι. Τί βούλεται, Κατ' ἰδίαν; καίτοι γε ὁ δόγματα κοινὰ διορθοῦν σπουδάζων, οὐ κατ' ἰδίαν, ἀλλὰ κοινῇ ταῦτα προτίθησιν. Ἀλλ' οὐχ ὁ Παῦλος οὕτως· οὐ γὰρ μαθεῖν τι καὶ διορθῶσαι ἐβούλετο, ἀλλὰ τῶν βουλομένων ἀπατᾷν τὴν πρόφασιν ἀνελεῖν. Ἀλλὰ ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἐν τοῖς Ἱεροσολύμοις πάντες ἐσκανδαλίζοντο, εἴ τις παραβαίη τὸν νόμον, εἴ τις κωλύοι χρήσασθαι τῇ περιτομῇ· διὸ καὶ ἔλεγε, Θεωρεῖς, ἀδελφὲ, πόσαι μυριάδες εἰσὶ τῶν πεπιστευκότων; καὶ οὗτοι πάντες εἰσὶ κατηχημένοι περὶ σοῦ, ὅτι ἀποστασίαν ἀπὸ τοῦ νόμου διδάσκεις· ἐπεὶ οὖν ἐσκανδαλίζοντο, παῤῥησίᾳ μὲν παρελθεῖν καὶ τὸ κήρυγμα ἀποκαλύψαι τὸ ἑαυτοῦ οὐκ ἠνείχετο· κατ' ἰδίαν δὲ τοῖς δοκοῦσιν ἀνέθετο ἐπὶ Βαρνάβα καὶ Τίτου, ἵνα οὗτοι μάρτυρες ἀξιόπιστοι γένωνται πρὸς τοὺς ἐγκαλοῦντας, ὅτι οὐδὲ τοῖς ἀποστόλοις ἔδοξεν ἐναντίον εἶναι, ἀλλὰ βεβαιοῦσι τὸ κήρυγμα τὸ τοιοῦτον. Ὅταν δὲ λέγῃ, Τοῖς δοκοῦσιν, οὐκ ἀναιρῶν τὸ εἶναι αὐτοὺς μεγάλους τοῦτο λέγει· ἐπεὶ καὶ περὶ ἑαυτοῦ φησι, ∆οκῶ δὲ κἀγὼ Πνεῦμα Θεοῦ ἔχειν· ὅπερ ἐστὶ μετριάζοντος, οὐκ ἀναιροῦντος τὸ ἔχειν. Οὕτω καὶ ἐνταῦθα. Τοῖς δοκοῦσι, φησὶ, μετὰ τῆς ἑαυτοῦ καὶ τὴν κοινὴν ἁπάντων λέγων ψῆφον. Ἀλλ' οὐδὲ Τίτος ὁ σὺν ἐμοὶ, Ἕλλην ὢν, ἠναγκάσθη περιτμηθῆναι. Τί ἐστιν, Ἕλλην ὤν; Ἐξ Ἑλλήνων ἦν, φησὶ, καὶ ἀκρόβυστος. Οὐ μόνον γὰρ ἐγὼ οὕτως ἐκήρυττον, ἀλλὰ καὶ Τίτος οὕτως ἔπραττε, καὶ ἀκρόβυστον ὄντα οὐκ ἠνάγκασαν περιτμηθῆναι οἱ ἀπόστολοι. Ὅπερ ἀπό 61.635 δειξις ἦν μεγίστη τοῦ μὴ καταγινώσκειν τῶν ὑπὸ τοῦ Παύλου λεγομένων, ἢ πραττομένων. Καὶ τὸ πολλῷ τούτου μεῖζον, ὅτι οὐδὲ ἐπικειμένων τῶν ἐναντιουμένων, καὶ ταῦτα εἰδότων, ἠναγκάσθησαν οἱ ἀπόστολοι τοῦτο κελεῦσαι· ὅπερ οὖν καὶ αὐτὸ δηλῶν ἔλεγε, ∆ιὰ δὲ τοὺς παρεισάκτους ψευδαδέλφους. Τίνες εἰσὶν οὗτοι οἱ ψευδάδελφοι; καὶ γὰρ οὐ μικρὸν ἐνταῦθα ζήτημα. Εἰ γὰρ οἱ ἀπόστολοι συνεχώρουν ἐνταῦθα περιτέμνεσθαι, διὰ τί νῦν ψευδαδέλφους καλεῖς τοὺς κατὰ τὴν τῶν ἀποστόλων γνώμην καὶ αὐτοὺς κελεύοντας τοῦτο ποιεῖν; Ὅτι πρῶτον μὲν οὐκ ἔστι ταὐτὸν, κελεύειν γίνεσθαι, καὶ γινόμενον συγχωρεῖν. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ προστάττων, μετὰ σπουδῆς, ὡς ἀναγκαῖον καὶ προηγούμενον, ποιεῖ· ὁ δὲ αὐτὸς μὲν μὴ κελεύων, τὸν δὲ βουλόμενον μὴ κωλύων, οὐχ ὡς δέον γενέσθαι συγχωρεῖ, ἀλλ' οἰκονομίαν τινὰ πληρῶν. Οἷόν τι λέγω· Κορινθίοις ἔγραφεν ὁ Παῦλος, καὶ πάλιν ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ συνέρχεσθαι γυναιξὶ καὶ ἀνδράσι διακελευόμενος.